Telephone meter system and apparatus.



R. H. MANSON. TELEPHONE METER SYSTEMAND APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 18, 1907.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

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MANSON, or nLYnm, oruo, AssIGNoR, BY MEsNE'AssIGNMENTs, TO THE DEAN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TELEPHONE METER SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

Application filed April 18, 1907. Serial No. 369,017.

- of he Tnitcd States, residing at .l llyria. in the county of Lorain and State oi Uhio, have. in vented certain new and useiiul hnprovements in Telephone Meter Sysand Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to telephone. meter svstems and apparatus in general, and particularly to such as are designed and ,constructcd 'for measuring and registering the duration or length of time the telephone is in use, as distinguished from the number of 'rinies that it is used.

The principal object. of the present invention is to provide a registering meter Hill by an electric gnotor connected to the l mc circuit of the telephone instruments and 4 i in the line. V

in my companion application, Serial No. 365L018, I have disclosed a telephone meter 'sl'em in which the electric motor or" the er is designed to rotate in one direction current flowing in a certain direction in the line to operate the motor, and to rotate nliy in the opposite direction when current reversed in the line without oicratin the meter, the cord circuit at the central oliice hein so arranged that current will flow in Xe directions in two connected lines "hatthe meter of one of these lines'will while the. other remains unaffected. in that system the meter of the connected which to register (which is preferably that of the calling subscriber) begins to register when the subscriber removes his rece ver from the hook and continues to r er until he; again hangs up his rec icr, so that the meter will register the total time ihat his receiver. has been oii the hook.

at is the principal object of my present invention to provide a system and apparatus in some respects similar to that above outlined. but in which the meter of the subscriber to be charged will register only during the time that both his receiver and the receiver or" the called subscriber are on the hook, that is, during the actual time that the complete connection for conversais made.

ii'ith this and other objects in view, the

resigned to be operated by currentflowinvention consists in the novel apparatus and circuits, together with their combina- 'tions, hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure shows in diagram two subscribers stations, together with the cent "at oifice cir- 'cuit terminals and the connecting cord circuit therefor, the meter apparatus at. one station being shown in enlarged detail.

Referring to the drawing, A represents the calling subscribers station, and B the called subscribers station, each being provided with the usual transmitting and receiving instruments. Station Ais connected by line wires 1 and 2 with the answering jack J at the central office. Any preferred line indicator, and cnt-ofi', represented by K and L, respectively, may be employed at the. central oifice in connection with jack J those shown being of swell known type which need not be described as they form no part of the present invention. It will be understood that my invention is suitable for and may be adapted to any telephone system.

The meter C comprises an electric motor M having a permanent or separately excited field magnet m andan armature m The armature m is geared by worm d to a large gear wheel I) of the registering mechanism. Concentric with gear wheel D or otherwise mounted in relation thereto is a dial disk (Z adapted to be engaged by a pawl Z mounted upon gear wheel 1) and driven thereby when said gear wheel rotates in a given direction, but to pass idly thereover when said gear wheel is rotated in the opposite direction. A stop pawl (Z also engages the teeth of the dial disk (Z to positively prevent the rotation of the latter in a backward direct-ion.

'lhe'arimlture of motor hf is connected in series with the line by leads 3 and. st, and a condensor E is bridged across the terminals oi? these motor leads. An inductive resistance or choking coil F is preferably inserted in the. armature circuit of the motor to choke back and eliminate any noises thatmight be produced and impressed upon the line from the commutator of the motor.

In order to provide a constant speedfor the motor, I employ a regulating resistance, shown diag 'ammatlcally at R, and controlled in any suitable manner, such as by a centrifugal governor G mounted upon or controlled by the armature shaft of the motor. This regulating resistance R is normally .hort circuited through the contacts of the governor (it, bin. when the speed of the motor exceeds a predetermined limit this short circuit is open and the resistance R thereby becomes e'ltective to reduce the speed.

.\t the central ot'lice the cord circuit is represented at H as of a well known common battery l-relay type which need not b described in detail. A battery 71 is connected to this circuit, to su ply current for the telephone instruments and also for operating the electric motors ot the meters. l is the answering plug of the cord cir cuit and P is the calling plug. For the purpose of my invention 1 provide relay contacts adapted to reverse the connection of the battery with the answering plug upon the completion of the talking circuit of the called subscriber. li hilc these contacts may he pcratcd by any relays. suitably connect.- cd, i prefer to ar ange them to be operated by the tip calling (supervisory) relay S, shown. In its normal position, when the movable member of this relay is upon its back contacts a, cur'ront from battery /i. will flow to plug l in the same direction as it tlows to plug P, but when relay S is energized the movable member will connect with contacts and current; will flow from battery 71 to plug 1 in the reverse direction from that in which it flows to plug P.

The operation of the system and meter will he apparent from the foregoing, and is as follows: Calling subscriber A having removed his receiver from the hook, when answering plug P is inserted into the jack J current will flow from battery /L, one of the hack cont-acts s of relay S, tip of plug 1 linewire 2, motor M, instruments of subscriber A, line wire 1 and return to battery by sleeve of plug P and the other contact 8 This direction of current is such as to drive the armature of motor M at station A in' its idle direction, that is, so as not to operate the registering mechanism of the meter. The disk B of the motor will therefore be rotated in anti-clockwise direction so that pawl (Z will travel idlyover the teeth of the register disk (Z which will be held positively against movement in that; direction by pawl d. Having ascertained the nu uber of the subscriber wanted. the operator inserts calling plug i into the calling jack of subscriber-l3. \Vhen subscriber B removes his receiver from the hook, the circuit is completed through the instruments, meter motor, and line wires of that station from battery jz in the same direction as that just traced in connection with station A. The meter motor of station B will there fore be rotated in its idle direction and the meter of the called station will not register. This circuit also includes the magnet of the relay S which thereupon attracts its armature, thereby opening the circuit of subl t i l l t i l l t l l l I l l l l l l t l l t l l scriber A at contacts a and closing it at contacts a. Current now lit infrom battery it through one of contacts a, the sleeve of plugP, to station A, returningby the tip of plug P and the other contact .9 to battery, thereby reversing the flow of current upon the line of the calling subscriber. This re versal. of current reverses the direction oi. rotation ofarmature on of motor M at station A and will drive disk D in the clock wise direction to operate the registering dial. The meter of station A therefore begins to register as soon as the called subscriber removes his receiver from the hook, while the motor of the called subscriber continues to rotate in the idle direction. It will thus be seen that the calling subscriber alone is charged, and that only for the time during which the connection is actually completed with the called subscriber. Another advantage of this system is that when a conversation is completed and the calling sub seriber desires another connection, the mo-- tor of his meter will be reversed when the c: lled subscriber hangs up his receiver, so that the calling subscriber will not be charged for the time that he must wait for another connection.

Many changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts and circuits without departing from the spirit ot my invention. and these I wish it understood t'all strictly within the scope and purview thereof;'fo.r instance, the meters of the subscribers might be located at central ollice if preferred, also the type of gear and the ratio of connection between the motor and the registering device may be varied at pleasure.

Hzwing thus describe'dmy invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers stations and a central ofiice, line circuits connecting said stations with said central office, means at said central office for establishing a speaking connection between two of said sul' scribers stations, and an electric; lly operated time registering device energized from one of said subscribers circuits and arranged to register only the time dun ing which both of such line circuits are in talking condition.

2. in a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers stations connected by suitable line circuits with a central oflice, speech transmitting and receiving instruments at said subscribers stations, a time registering device at one of said stations at least, an electric motor driven by electric energy suppliedfrom the central oflice over the line circuit and arranged to operate said registering device, a source of electrical energy, and circuit connections completed only during the interconnection of the talking apparatus Mean of two stations to drive said motor and operate said registering device.

3. in a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers stations connected by suitable line circuits with a central oflice, a connecting circuit at said central office for said line circuits, a time registering device at asubscribers station, an electric motor at such substation driven from the line circuit of that station and operatively connected to said time registering device to operate the same only upon the flow of current in a predetern'iined direction, and means for establishing current flow in that line of the proper direction upon the completion of a' talking circuit between said subscribers station and another subscribers station.

l. in a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers stations connected by suitable line circuits with a central otlice, a connecting circuit atsaid central office for said line circuits, a time registering device at a subscribers station, an electric motor at such substation driven from the line-circuit of that station and operatively connected to' said time registering device to operate the same only uponthecfiow of current in a predetermined direction, means for impressing upon said line circuit a current from said connecting" circuit in the opposite directibn, and means for reversing said flow of cur-- rent to operate the registering device upon the con'ipletion of a talking connection with another subscribers station.

5. In a telephone system, a plurality 'of subscribers stations connected by suitable line circuits with a central office, a connecting circuit at said central ofiice for said line 'circuit, a time registering device at a subscribers station, an electric motor energized troin the line circuit of that station and having a rotatable armature operatively connected to said time registering device to operate the same upon the flow of current in a predetermined direction, but not affecting said time registering dcvice npon the flow of current in the opposite'ilirection, means for impressingupon that line a How of tour rent from said connecting circuit in the inoperative direction, and means for reversing saidllow of current when a talking circuit is completed with another subscribers station.

6. In a telephone system, a plurality of subscribers stations connected by suitable line circuits with a central ofiice, a time registering device at each of tweet said subscribers stationmanelectric motor energized from said line" circuits and inoperative to drive said registering devices when rotating in one direction, but operative to drive the same when rotating in the opposite dircction, a connecting circuit at said central ofiice adapted to supply initially -current in the same direction to two connected lines, and

in one of said lines upon the completion of the talking circuits at said connected subscribers stations. I

7. In a telephone system, a calling" and a called subscribers station connected by suitmeans for reversing the direction of current able line circuits to a central ofiice, a time I registering device at each of said subscribers stations provided with electrical actuating means energized from said circuits operative to continuously drive said registering devices upon the flow of current iii said lines in a predetermined direction, a connecting circuit at said central otlice arranged to supply current initially to said line circuits in the same inoperative direction, and a relay associated with said connecting circuit energized upon the answering of the called subscriber and arranged to reverse the flow of current in the circuit of the calling sub-' scriber to drive the actuating means located I at the callin substation.

8. In a te ephone system, a callingand a walled subscriber-s station connected by suitable line circuits to a central oliice, a time registering device at each of said subscribers stations provided with electrical actuating means energized from said circuits operative to continuously drive said registering devices upon the fiow of current in said lines in a predetermined direction, a connecting circuit at said central ofiice arranged to supply current initially to said line circuits in the same inoperative direction and provided with a supervisory relay for the called subscribers line, and contacts controlled by said supervisory relay to reverse the flow of current in the circuit. of the calling subscriber upon the answering of the called subscriber to drive the actuating means located at the calling substation.

9. A connecting circuit for telephone lines comprisingsuitable terminals, time period measuring meters associated with the lines,

ii source of electric energy operatively connected to said circuit, and a relay arranged to reverse the connection of the source of energy to the line of the calling subscriber when a through talking circuit between two subscribers is completed whereby the meter of the calling subscriber may be operated.

10. A connecting circuit for telephone lines comprising suitable terminal plugs,

meters associated with the lines, a source of electric energy operatively connected to said circuit, a relay arranged to reverse the connection of the source of energy to the line of the calling subscriber when a. through talking circuit between two subscribers is completed whereby the meter of the calling subscriber may be operated, said relay constituting also a supervisory relay connected to the tip of the calling plug, the contacts operated by said supervisory relay serving to reverse such connection.

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11. A (,UIHHEOiiHg' circuit for ioiuphmm iilHS cmii n'ising' Slliiilbh immiimis time period nwusuring IHOtUl'H HSSOCitHWi with the lines, :1 smu'uv of oioviric micrgy opcrzitiveiy (onnvcivd in said UilClliL Hlili means for re- Yersing (he miiiievtimi of the sourve of envrgy to the iinv Hf Hie culling subscriber whereby thv mvtvr (if the calling subwribcr may in: (ipisrziiml.

12. A (-minvrting circuit for iciephone lines comprising suitable terminal plugs, time porimi lllUHSHliIlg meters associatvdf with tilt liiiw. :i HUHI'L'U (if oluciric energy 0p- 'i'ur ruvvrsiiig' ihc (fimiuciimi 0 {hi ihc iiiiu 0f the calling hsm'ihm' viii motor (if the calling SlEb CYii GT filmy 21ml. sm'h rm'vrsinig' HHHHF Win 1 mi (-mitroi of one of the commcifed in tufifimuiiy whereof I in presume 0% (W0 witnea i i i r 

